September 2nd, 2008
Hanna Drenches, Ike Looms
By NAVARDO SAUNDERS
Hurricane Hanna left the islands in the southeast Bahamas drenched on Monday after the category one cyclone unleashed torrential rain for most of the day.
Packing winds of up to 80 miles per hour, the storm gained strength as it slowly trekked through the southeast Bahamas. It left behind massive flooding in Mayaguana, Crooked Island and Long Cay on Monday afternoon.
At an emergency management meeting at the Port Department at the Prince George Dock, which was broadcast live to the nation, meteorologist Mike Stubbs said that Hurricane Hanna was sitting on the "doorsteps" of the three named islands.
"Those islands should be experiencing the effects of the storm as we speak," he said. "This is a category one hurricane and I must warn residents it is nothing to play with. Those living closest to the shorelines are advised to leave their homes and seek safe shelter closer inland."
On Monday hurricane warnings were issued for the central and southeast Bahamas, which included Cat Island, the Exuma, Long Island, San Salvador, Acklins, Ragged Island, Inagua, Mayaguana, Crooked Island, Long Cay and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Well we are busy busily preparing for the impact of Ike which seems to be a bigger threat than Hanna.
The stores are busy hurricane shutters are going up and i heard hammers and drills until the wee hours of the morning.
As we are boarded up it was difficult to know what time it was this morning. I am beginning to worry a little about my husband who is stuck on his boat in the Berry islands.
Continue to remember The Bahamas in your prayers.
Thank you
AT 2 PM AST...1800 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WATCH FOR THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS...INCLUDING THE ACKLINS...CROOKED ISLAND...THE INAGUAS...MAYAGUANA...AND THE RAGGED ISLANDS...AS WELL AS FOR THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS.
NO OTHER CHANGES ARE REQUIRED FROM THE 1100 AM ADVISORY.
Ike's center hit the Bahamas' Great Inagua island, where the roofs of its two shelters both sprung leaks under the 135 mph (217 kph) winds. As the storm passed, people inside peeked through windows at toppled trees and houses stripped of their roofs.
"It's nasty. I can't remember getting hit like this," reserve police officer Henry Nixon said from inside a shelter holding about 85 people.
Great Inagua has about 1,000 people and about 50,000 West Indian flamingos - the world's largest breeding colony. Both populations sought safety from the winds and driving rain, with the pink flamingos gathering in mangrove thickets. Biologists worried that their unique habitat could be destroyed.
"There's a possibility that the habitat can't really be replaced, and that they can't find an equivalent spot," said Greg Butcher, bird conservation director for the National Audubon Society. "You might have a significant drop in the number of flamingos."
Powerful Hurricane Ike left the southeastern Bahamas in a shambles on
Sunday.
The category four cyclone caused severe damages to critical infrastructure, homes, schools and government buildings.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham described the aftermath of the storm on Sundays as devastating, but said the situation could have been much worse considering that Ike was packing winds up to 135 miles per hour and storm surges of up to 18 feet when the storm unleashed its wrath on islands in the southeastern Bahamas.
Nowhere was Ike's fury felt more though than in Inagua.
Interim director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Stephen Russell said Ike left behind major destruction in Inagua.
"The situation is dire in Inagua," he said. "There is widespread destruction."
Prime Minister Ingraham emphasized that buildings and infrastructure can be replaced, but human life cannot and therefore there was much to be thankful for since no loss of life or serious injury had been reported.
Kevin Basden, general manager of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, said there were many poles, utility lines and transformers that were leveled.
"BEC will conduct a full assessment of the situation Monday morning," he said. "We will also deploy technicians and linesmen from Nassau to assist their colleagues in Inagua with the restoration of power."
Up to Sunday evening Inagua had been without electricity.
Mr. Basden also reported that land and power lines were down in Mayaguana and Acklins
Melanie Zonicle, director of the Department of Social Services, said the shutters were also blown off the shelter at St. Philips Community Center and at Zion Baptist Church, which also resulted in flooding.
She also said the roof on the church caved in. Evacuees housed in another section of the church were forced to move to the main section of the church.
Glenn Bannister, manager director of Morton Salt Bahamas, said on Sunday that Inagua was feeling the full brunt of the storm when he spoke to the Bahama Journal yesterday.
Many people, he said, were staying in shelters and could only watch as Ike tore off some roofs, leveled power lines and destroyed boats, including some fishing vessels.
Mr. Bannister said some shelters were also damaged. The roof of at least one shelter started to give way he said and people started to crowd one area to avoid being injured.
"It looks like we have been hit hard," Mr. Bannister said. "From what I can see there is quite a bit of damage."
Mr. Bannister said the total impact of the storm could not be determined until the storm had passed, but from what he had seen so far there was extensive damage.
Prime Minister Ingraham said teams from the various government agencies would be dispatched to Inagua and some of the other affected islands in the southeastern Bahamas as early as Monday to conduct assessment.
The prime minister said a main focus of the government is to get children back to school. As a result he said schools would be among the first to be assessed by the Ministry of Works.
Mr. Ingraham said he has confidence in the relevant government agencies and believes that Inagua and the other affected island would be restored in a reasonable time.
Persons in Inagua paid attention to hurricane alerts and
warnings.To date there are no reported fatalities. Many
buildings were damaged, storm shutters were ripped off
buildings. The Batelco ( local phone company) land lines are
down but cellular service is still available. Zion Baptist
Church had damage to the sunday school roof. The Morton
Salt facility in Great Inagua is reported to have sustained
substantial damage.Electricity service is out .
There is no information as yet as to how the Flamingo
population of Inagua has been affected by Ike.
The airport at Inagua has reopened and relief efforts have
begun.Assessment of damage is currently taking place.
THe local newstation - ZNS TV 13 ,reports that Crooked
Island and Andros
fared well with no reported injuries or casualties.
Damage assessment will begin shortly in Acklins .Island
administrators report that the power is off.
Here in New Providence there is sporadic rain and moderate
gusts.Ike has had minimal direct inpact on New Providence.
It is with relief that we watch Ike depart, and with hope
and best wishes for thos who may yet be affected.
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